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Witches of Mountain Shadow #1
Aether Witch: Witches of Mountain Shadow, Book 1
Premonitions of death. Murder in a small town. A killer is on the loose, and the coven fears it might be one of their own.
The Grimes sisters aren’t normal—even by witches’ standards. For weeks, Fiona has been having chilling visions of death, and Eleanor sees restless spirits nearly everywhere she goes. It doesn’t help that Mountain Shadow is a strange place to begin with, where rumors of curses fly as fast as saltwater taffy on a warm summer day.
When a string of gruesome murders rocks the small town, Fiona and the rest of her coven begin to worry that a fellow witch may be the killer. Even worse? A witch hunter has just moved in next door, and he suspects the coven.
When it seems that Eleanor might be the next victim, it will take an unlikely alliance and all the witches’ combined powers to stop the killer before it’s too late.
Aether Witch is Charmed meets Gilmore Girls. If you love a dark supernatural mystery with witty banter and unforgettable small-town characters, this audiobook is for you!
The Grimes sisters aren’t normal—even by witches’ standards. For weeks, Fiona has been having chilling visions of death, and Eleanor sees restless spirits nearly everywhere she goes. It doesn’t help that Mountain Shadow is a strange place to begin with, where rumors of curses fly as fast as saltwater taffy on a warm summer day.
When a string of gruesome murders rocks the small town, Fiona and the rest of her coven begin to worry that a fellow witch may be the killer. Even worse? A witch hunter has just moved in next door, and he suspects the coven.
When it seems that Eleanor might be the next victim, it will take an unlikely alliance and all the witches’ combined powers to stop the killer before it’s too late.
Aether Witch is Charmed meets Gilmore Girls. If you love a dark supernatural mystery with witty banter and unforgettable small-town characters, this audiobook is for you!
Audible Audio
Published April 21, 2022
About the author
Tarah Benner
40 books365 followersTarah Benner is the author of more than 25 books, including Witches of Mountain Shadow, Mountain Shadow Mysteries, The Fringe, the Elderon Chronicles, the Lawless Saga, and more.
She lives and writes in sunny Colorado with her two dogs, a cat, a toddler, and her beloved partner in crime. When she’s not writing, she enjoys breakfast, hiking, yoga, and martial arts.
She lives and writes in sunny Colorado with her two dogs, a cat, a toddler, and her beloved partner in crime. When she’s not writing, she enjoys breakfast, hiking, yoga, and martial arts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
April 3, 2021
I had a very difficult time rating this book. I truly wanted to like it but the female lead just left me cold. Her personality is abrasive and shallow at times. Not a bunch of excitement even though a lot seemed to be happening. Probably won’t read book 2.
July 31, 2020
Average
This was a decent read. It had an interesting plot and characters, but just seemed to be missing a special something to put it over the top.
This was a decent read. It had an interesting plot and characters, but just seemed to be missing a special something to put it over the top.
June 3, 2022
I got it for free on kindle and I kind of wish I didn’t… took forever for it to be interesting and I found myself dreading having to read it. It wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read and I managed to complete it so… 2 stars I guess.
January 11, 2022
Great read. Irritating heroine.
Its not that it's not well written. It's just that I want it to progress differently.
Such as; Fiona to have more concern about demons flooding her hometown, for her to have driven the extra miles to come around on the other side of the highway (because I just don't believe even she would have made it across that section and not have needed a major healing) and the general attitude of antipathy of the entire coven toward each other and everyone else! Not 'an yew shall harm no other's coven!
Other than that it was a very good r.a.f.
Its not that it's not well written. It's just that I want it to progress differently.
Such as; Fiona to have more concern about demons flooding her hometown, for her to have driven the extra miles to come around on the other side of the highway (because I just don't believe even she would have made it across that section and not have needed a major healing) and the general attitude of antipathy of the entire coven toward each other and everyone else! Not 'an yew shall harm no other's coven!
Other than that it was a very good r.a.f.
November 23, 2021
I don't know about this one. There were things I liked, and things I didn't. I was definitely a bit annoyed by some of the dumb things the main character did. Some of the book had that silly "cozy mystery" feel to it, but other parts were a bit "dark" for a cozy. I felt like some of the "magic" in this book didn't completely make sense - powers seemed to change when it was convenient for the storyline. It wasn't terrible... but it didn't knock my socks off, either.
November 24, 2024
Did this as an audiobook and the very first one I've done. I've really enjoyed this read, it had all the feels in it, it had me on the edge of my chair many times. Definitely going to read book no 2 at some point soon.
April 7, 2023
Witches, hunters and murder
Solid storytelling and a nice twist on the witchy tropes. A little darker than I expected, with some good characters.
Solid storytelling and a nice twist on the witchy tropes. A little darker than I expected, with some good characters.
March 16, 2025
Premonitions of death. Murder in a small town. A killer is on the loose, and the coven fears it might be one of their own.
The Grimes sisters aren’t normal — even by witches’ standards. For weeks, Fiona has been having chilling visions of death, and Eleanor sees restless spirits nearly everywhere she goes. It doesn’t help that Mountain Shadow is a strange place to begin with, where rumors of curses fly as fast as salt-water taffy on a warm summer day.
When a string of gruesome murders rocks the small town, Fiona and the rest of her coven begin to worry that a fellow witch may be the killer. Even worse? A witch hunter has just moved in next door, and he suspects the coven.
When it seems that Eleanor might be the next victim, it will take an unlikely alliance and all the witches’ combined powers to stop the killer before it’s too late.
Aether Witch is Charmed meets Gilmore Girls. If you love a dark supernatural mystery with witty banter and unforgettable small-town characters, this book is for you!
The Grimes sisters aren’t normal — even by witches’ standards. For weeks, Fiona has been having chilling visions of death, and Eleanor sees restless spirits nearly everywhere she goes. It doesn’t help that Mountain Shadow is a strange place to begin with, where rumors of curses fly as fast as salt-water taffy on a warm summer day.
When a string of gruesome murders rocks the small town, Fiona and the rest of her coven begin to worry that a fellow witch may be the killer. Even worse? A witch hunter has just moved in next door, and he suspects the coven.
When it seems that Eleanor might be the next victim, it will take an unlikely alliance and all the witches’ combined powers to stop the killer before it’s too late.
Aether Witch is Charmed meets Gilmore Girls. If you love a dark supernatural mystery with witty banter and unforgettable small-town characters, this book is for you!
November 20, 2022
This magical mystery keeps you guessing until the end. I was drawn to the stunning descriptions of this mysterious little town of Mountain Shadow and enjoyed learning more about all the nuanced characters. Fiona is a brave, strong-headed protagonist who will stop at nothing to protect her family. I’m excited to continue the coven’s journey in the next installment in the series.
September 3, 2022
The protagonist was annoying - very '90s Meg Ryan rom-com, you know, constantly being kind of rude and aggressive and people generally letting her get away with it because she's so adorable or beautiful or whatever. Except me. I see you, Fiona. Stop being an entitled betch. Also, stop being so freakin' ignorant. This chick needed EVERYTHING explained to her - which I know was really for the reader's benefit, because Benner built this intricate world for her new series - but she demanded the information aggressively, and it often... Seemed like shit she should already know? Like... Um, were you asleep during witch history class or something, Fiona? Also, maybe you could ask for information nicely? It's not your best guy friend's fault he wanted A's and you wanted to be a cool girl and constantly bake while remaining thin. You could have tried to pull a Rory Gilmore, but nooo, you just want to snap at Bellamy and everyone else for information. So not my favorite, but the read was pretty quick and it wasn't the worst thing I've read. So read it if you like Meg Ryan, I guess?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2026
Initial suspect: Martha’s son, Alex from Boston. Why did Fiona get so cold in their brief interaction, and he was so intent on following up with her in their first meeting. It’s even weirder when he doesn’t pop up like he said he would.
Second: Agatha. Rose is a strong witch but left the coven (I’m thinking politics), Agatha chose not to let Geraldine suss out the source of the issue from the spirits. She mentions the hunters so favorably while Rose reacted how one would expect.
I don’t like Wesley. The cop, Wesley shows up as soon as the accident happened. Timing is a coincidence? Then Wesley moves next door and keeps offering to fix her window almost as if it’s an excuse to come inside. She feels something warm when shaking Wesley’s hand, which could have been faked to hide his ether. She comes to sense his house which would give her clues, but it’s conveniently pungent from fresh paint. Fresh paint in a house with a porch so rickety that Bellamy almost fell through is weird. Priorities…
I am surprised at first, the disregard of the planning of the seance.. Fiona stuck flirting with her crush instead of running to get help for Eleanor.. Bellamy offering to make up for telling his mom, but not Eleanor being in such a grave state that Fiona was getting Rose involved..
I have never read a book that had an exorcism so this is a fascinating new plot.
Fiona is so aggressive towards Gabriel that it seems out of place.
Ugh, why would she ask Bellamy, instead of Gabriel for help at the campground. Even a third like Bea would’ve been great help.
I know Fiona saw the old man’s face enough to see his grin.. but I am wondering about the familiarity she felt.
The mentions of Florence make me think the girls are going to go on an adventure in an upcoming book. Lol, or I just hope.
Her father does not come off as the greedy type, but one who would gladly pay $27k for a book to save his daughters. Knowing their mom was with him, there’s definitely something serious we have yet to learn about the sisters’ powers.
I don’t get the part of the plot where the cops are repeatedly giving her the third degree. It’s forced.
Regarding the fire, is the author purposefully writing Fiona to ignore things? She could’ve been written to have a great sixth sense. Seeing smoke in her dreams before even the fire alarm went off, is amazing, but like I other situations, she’s slow to absorb all the signs she’s getting.
I am so annoyed by Wesley leading her away from her sister’s room and giving her this update she didn’t need that was obviously stressing her out. His actions created an opportunity for the killer to grab Eleanor and it literally pisses me off. I am no longer shipping them. If they get married later on, I am writing to the author to tell her about my disappointment and disapproval which is dramatic, but he doesn’t fit her.
Wow, ok. So both two theories up top are accurate. I am surprised because I couldn’t sense Agatha was the rat she was. Just a hunch. Also, Alex is the old man with silver hair? Something’s off about the descriptions.
What a knight in t shirt and jeans! Gabe’s appearance was comforting. I hope Eleanor works with Rose to learn to embrace her gift and can weaponize it in the future. A few spirits tormenting Agatha would’ve been great karma.
Ugh, again. Is Fiona feigning ignorance? We know all about how amazing the blade fits her, which is odd since it belonged to her Dad, who would’ve dwarfed her dimensions.
Wow… what impeccable timing Wesley. Pops up not to console or check the fitness of his crush, but question his brother. Every time he talks about her case “to keep her informed”, I wish he had kept his mouth shut.
I wish the sisters got more time in the story. What is Eleanor’s personality beyond needing protecting by her big sister and being tormented by the spirts.
Overall, this was a new perspective, but some odds and ends are frustrating about the plot and Wesley. But I will be reading book 2.
Second: Agatha. Rose is a strong witch but left the coven (I’m thinking politics), Agatha chose not to let Geraldine suss out the source of the issue from the spirits. She mentions the hunters so favorably while Rose reacted how one would expect.
I don’t like Wesley. The cop, Wesley shows up as soon as the accident happened. Timing is a coincidence? Then Wesley moves next door and keeps offering to fix her window almost as if it’s an excuse to come inside. She feels something warm when shaking Wesley’s hand, which could have been faked to hide his ether. She comes to sense his house which would give her clues, but it’s conveniently pungent from fresh paint. Fresh paint in a house with a porch so rickety that Bellamy almost fell through is weird. Priorities…
I am surprised at first, the disregard of the planning of the seance.. Fiona stuck flirting with her crush instead of running to get help for Eleanor.. Bellamy offering to make up for telling his mom, but not Eleanor being in such a grave state that Fiona was getting Rose involved..
I have never read a book that had an exorcism so this is a fascinating new plot.
Fiona is so aggressive towards Gabriel that it seems out of place.
Ugh, why would she ask Bellamy, instead of Gabriel for help at the campground. Even a third like Bea would’ve been great help.
I know Fiona saw the old man’s face enough to see his grin.. but I am wondering about the familiarity she felt.
The mentions of Florence make me think the girls are going to go on an adventure in an upcoming book. Lol, or I just hope.
Her father does not come off as the greedy type, but one who would gladly pay $27k for a book to save his daughters. Knowing their mom was with him, there’s definitely something serious we have yet to learn about the sisters’ powers.
I don’t get the part of the plot where the cops are repeatedly giving her the third degree. It’s forced.
Regarding the fire, is the author purposefully writing Fiona to ignore things? She could’ve been written to have a great sixth sense. Seeing smoke in her dreams before even the fire alarm went off, is amazing, but like I other situations, she’s slow to absorb all the signs she’s getting.
I am so annoyed by Wesley leading her away from her sister’s room and giving her this update she didn’t need that was obviously stressing her out. His actions created an opportunity for the killer to grab Eleanor and it literally pisses me off. I am no longer shipping them. If they get married later on, I am writing to the author to tell her about my disappointment and disapproval which is dramatic, but he doesn’t fit her.
Wow, ok. So both two theories up top are accurate. I am surprised because I couldn’t sense Agatha was the rat she was. Just a hunch. Also, Alex is the old man with silver hair? Something’s off about the descriptions.
What a knight in t shirt and jeans! Gabe’s appearance was comforting. I hope Eleanor works with Rose to learn to embrace her gift and can weaponize it in the future. A few spirits tormenting Agatha would’ve been great karma.
Ugh, again. Is Fiona feigning ignorance? We know all about how amazing the blade fits her, which is odd since it belonged to her Dad, who would’ve dwarfed her dimensions.
Wow… what impeccable timing Wesley. Pops up not to console or check the fitness of his crush, but question his brother. Every time he talks about her case “to keep her informed”, I wish he had kept his mouth shut.
I wish the sisters got more time in the story. What is Eleanor’s personality beyond needing protecting by her big sister and being tormented by the spirts.
Overall, this was a new perspective, but some odds and ends are frustrating about the plot and Wesley. But I will be reading book 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2023
Even though I am at the beginning of 2 other series (Amazon seems to always have very low prices on the first book of any series), I decided to start this series as it looked good from reading the blurb.
This book introduces the Grimes sisters and (later on) two brothers, Wesley and Gabriel. The main character is Fiona Grimes and (to a lesser extent) her sister, Eleanor Grimes. Fiona has premonitions in dreams that come true and Eleanor sees and interacts with ghosts. This book begins with Fiona out on another date with a man she had not dated before. She sees a premonition in her thoughts and grabs the wheel of the car which causes the young man to drive off the road. End of ever having a date with him again!
When she gets home she finds out that the Reverend has died by being boiled alive in holy water in his own bathtub! The Reverend was the man she had seen in her premonition/vision that caused her to grab the steering wheel of her date's car.
After talking to her sister, Eleanor, they decide to hold a seance and here we are introduced to the sister's friends Bellamy and Beatrix. At the seance all he!! breaks loose and thus begins the story and plot. The Reverend is not the only townsfolk who gets murdered and Fiona begins to think that there is a witch behind the murders and that the witch has a plan and a reason for the murders (though Fiona doesn't know what they are.) Introduced is the new neighbor(s) that bought the 13-year empty house next door (Gabriel and Wesley). Wesley is a human cop and Gabriel is a supernatural Hunter (and how that came about is explained later. Fiona gets along well with Wesley but not with Gabriel though it's Gabriel that has the most information and can help her find the witch.
The writing itself was good and the characters were pretty fleshed out. The town was described well. Many of the secondary characters were well-fleshed out and described. The one character that was poorly written was Eleanor. It seemed like she was just there so that Fiona would have a reason to do all the things she was doing. Also, it seemed to me as if Eleanor was clueless regarding anything to do with the ghosts she is able to see. It also seems like Eleanor is there ONLY for plot purposes! From what I believe Eleanor should have been front and center just like Fiona but she wasn't. Other than that point, I liked the book enough to buy #2 in the series and also read the novella that deals with Wesley and Gabriel. (Which I will review later).
This book introduces the Grimes sisters and (later on) two brothers, Wesley and Gabriel. The main character is Fiona Grimes and (to a lesser extent) her sister, Eleanor Grimes. Fiona has premonitions in dreams that come true and Eleanor sees and interacts with ghosts. This book begins with Fiona out on another date with a man she had not dated before. She sees a premonition in her thoughts and grabs the wheel of the car which causes the young man to drive off the road. End of ever having a date with him again!
When she gets home she finds out that the Reverend has died by being boiled alive in holy water in his own bathtub! The Reverend was the man she had seen in her premonition/vision that caused her to grab the steering wheel of her date's car.
After talking to her sister, Eleanor, they decide to hold a seance and here we are introduced to the sister's friends Bellamy and Beatrix. At the seance all he!! breaks loose and thus begins the story and plot. The Reverend is not the only townsfolk who gets murdered and Fiona begins to think that there is a witch behind the murders and that the witch has a plan and a reason for the murders (though Fiona doesn't know what they are.) Introduced is the new neighbor(s) that bought the 13-year empty house next door (Gabriel and Wesley). Wesley is a human cop and Gabriel is a supernatural Hunter (and how that came about is explained later. Fiona gets along well with Wesley but not with Gabriel though it's Gabriel that has the most information and can help her find the witch.
The writing itself was good and the characters were pretty fleshed out. The town was described well. Many of the secondary characters were well-fleshed out and described. The one character that was poorly written was Eleanor. It seemed like she was just there so that Fiona would have a reason to do all the things she was doing. Also, it seemed to me as if Eleanor was clueless regarding anything to do with the ghosts she is able to see. It also seems like Eleanor is there ONLY for plot purposes! From what I believe Eleanor should have been front and center just like Fiona but she wasn't. Other than that point, I liked the book enough to buy #2 in the series and also read the novella that deals with Wesley and Gabriel. (Which I will review later).
February 12, 2024
This book is breathtakingly bad. I am tempted to finish it solely for entertainment purposes to see exactly how much worse it can get because it’s written in a florid and disembodied way without any sense that the author is aware of what she is writing from one paragraph to the next. It’s deeply reminiscent of a third year high school creative writing project.
In the first chapter, the fmc wanders off during her date to explore the train tracks and commune with the ghosts. She falls down and muses about her shoes being dirty, but also doesn’t seem to be aware that it’s weird that she just got up and left in the middle of dinner. Having established that the fmc is fully aware that she sees ghosts, the author has her grab the steering wheel of the car that she is riding in and jerk it as hard as she can to deliberately run the car off the road in an effort to prevent the driver from hitting the ghost that she sees in the road. Then she seems nonplussed that her date is turned off by her behaviour.
I mean, seriously, forget the paranormal whosiwhatsits is there anyone who would be okay with someone ditching them in the middle of dinner and running their car off the road while driving?
And because I am that person, train cars don’t flit, they trundle. Also, this is the second paranormal mystery book that I have read today with a black cat named “Smudge”.
In the first chapter, the fmc wanders off during her date to explore the train tracks and commune with the ghosts. She falls down and muses about her shoes being dirty, but also doesn’t seem to be aware that it’s weird that she just got up and left in the middle of dinner. Having established that the fmc is fully aware that she sees ghosts, the author has her grab the steering wheel of the car that she is riding in and jerk it as hard as she can to deliberately run the car off the road in an effort to prevent the driver from hitting the ghost that she sees in the road. Then she seems nonplussed that her date is turned off by her behaviour.
I mean, seriously, forget the paranormal whosiwhatsits is there anyone who would be okay with someone ditching them in the middle of dinner and running their car off the road while driving?
And because I am that person, train cars don’t flit, they trundle. Also, this is the second paranormal mystery book that I have read today with a black cat named “Smudge”.
October 13, 2026
Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝔸𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕔𝕙: 𝔸 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 𝔽𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕤𝕪
𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿
Fiona and Eleanor, the Grimes sisters, are kept at a distance in their small town neighborhood of Mountain Shadow. Unbeknownst to the town, a full coven of witches lives there.
When shady activity hits the area, a hunter comes into play, and a search follows as they try to find the evil that has taken root in Mountain Shadow.
I found this to be the perfect October read. I decided to type Fall into my Kindle search and see what books I already had and this is one that came up from way back in 2021. I’m so glad that this was the year to read it.
Fiona, the main character, is a real treat to read about. Not only is she a kind person, but she perseveres, facing danger while trying to save loved ones and the town itself. She also is a bit of a cheeky young lady who isn’t afraid to stand up for herself.
The story brings magic to a family-oriented, small-town atmosphere, yet there is also that evil presence that blends so well into spooky season.
I just realized there are five more books in the series. Oh boy, when will I read those? Maybe not this year, but I certainly will in the future. So if you’re up for a great witchy series, try reading the Witches of Mountain Shadow series. And tag me if you go on in the series so I can read your reviews!
@Latishaslowkeylife
𝔸𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕚𝕥𝕔𝕙: 𝔸 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕝 𝔽𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕤𝕪
𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿
Fiona and Eleanor, the Grimes sisters, are kept at a distance in their small town neighborhood of Mountain Shadow. Unbeknownst to the town, a full coven of witches lives there.
When shady activity hits the area, a hunter comes into play, and a search follows as they try to find the evil that has taken root in Mountain Shadow.
I found this to be the perfect October read. I decided to type Fall into my Kindle search and see what books I already had and this is one that came up from way back in 2021. I’m so glad that this was the year to read it.
Fiona, the main character, is a real treat to read about. Not only is she a kind person, but she perseveres, facing danger while trying to save loved ones and the town itself. She also is a bit of a cheeky young lady who isn’t afraid to stand up for herself.
The story brings magic to a family-oriented, small-town atmosphere, yet there is also that evil presence that blends so well into spooky season.
I just realized there are five more books in the series. Oh boy, when will I read those? Maybe not this year, but I certainly will in the future. So if you’re up for a great witchy series, try reading the Witches of Mountain Shadow series. And tag me if you go on in the series so I can read your reviews!
@Latishaslowkeylife
February 26, 2021
Oh. My. Goodness. I nearly folded after the first scene, thinking this was going to be rather redundant. I'm glad I didn't, and I haven't such sleepless nights reading a fast-paced, action-packed work since I read the Gateway Trilogy and Gateway Trackers.
Best yet, Aether Witch was basically a more complex, darker version of E.E. Holmes' work. And it makes me wonder whether Tarah Benner came across either series as inspiration for her own. Fiona, our protagonist, reminds me a lot of Jess Ballard from the Gateway, while Eleanor and Bellamy strongly resemble Hannah and Milo.
Best yet, the story is full of mystery and mystique. You're diving into the lives of a coven of witches living in small-town America. And when a string of murders attracts a witch hunter to town, all eyes point to Fiona. Only her coven, her loyal sister, and her love interest, Wesley, have her back.
Can it get any worse for Fiona?
It can. Because the coven comes to realize the perpetrator of these crimes is among their own people. Who is the guilty party? And will they bring down Fiona?
The answer will boggle your mind.
Best yet, Aether Witch was basically a more complex, darker version of E.E. Holmes' work. And it makes me wonder whether Tarah Benner came across either series as inspiration for her own. Fiona, our protagonist, reminds me a lot of Jess Ballard from the Gateway, while Eleanor and Bellamy strongly resemble Hannah and Milo.
Best yet, the story is full of mystery and mystique. You're diving into the lives of a coven of witches living in small-town America. And when a string of murders attracts a witch hunter to town, all eyes point to Fiona. Only her coven, her loyal sister, and her love interest, Wesley, have her back.
Can it get any worse for Fiona?
It can. Because the coven comes to realize the perpetrator of these crimes is among their own people. Who is the guilty party? And will they bring down Fiona?
The answer will boggle your mind.
November 2, 2026
Fiona & Eleanor are sisters and they live in their family house, known as the Grime house. The neighbors wave and walk quickly away because of something Fiona did in HS. The parents were killed when Fiona was 17. She raised Eleanor who is 7 years younger. They started a business selling herbs, tinctures and creams for cosmetic purposes. Someone is killing humans and their coven is concerned that it may be a witch. the coven is the girls family now. Someone moves into the house next door. It has been empty for a long, long time and is in need of many repairs, including the porch, steps and the roof to name a few. Turns out their new neighbor is a police officer in their town. His twin brother comes to visit a few days later and he is a hunter. Hunters track and kill any magicals that are harming and/or killing humans. It helps to keep them off the humans radar. Each of the witches have a different kind of magic. The story just gets more interesting from here. A wonderfully told story, intricate plot and interesting & quirky characters. I am an ARC reader and I highly recommend this book. It more than earns it's 5* rating.
Read on 10/26/26.
Read on 10/26/26.
October 5, 2020
Welcome to the small town of Mountain Shadow, a quaint touristy spot that is also home to a coven of witches. They keep to themselves and do not flourish what they are. Their way of life, especially for two sisters, Fiona and Eleanor, is threatened when a series of murders are commited. Not only do the towns preople start panicing and accusing the sisters of witchcraft, but an attractive witch hunter, Gabriel, comes to hunt down the culprit and also has his eyes on the sisters, Fiona in particular. Fiona leads her own investigation to find out who is murdering these innocent people and who kidnapped her sister with some help from fellow coven members and also some surprisingly and unwelcome help from Gabriel himself.
Follow Fiona as she works through this and finds a surprising twist as to who the murderer(s) are. This is a fun, suspenseful, intriguing story that leaves you wanting more, and the ending definitely hints at more to come!
Follow Fiona as she works through this and finds a surprising twist as to who the murderer(s) are. This is a fun, suspenseful, intriguing story that leaves you wanting more, and the ending definitely hints at more to come!
March 8, 2023
Fiona Grimes and her sister Eleanor are witches, but they are like no other witches around. To begin with, Fiona has been having nightmares that don’t feel like dreams but premonitions, and her sister, Eleanor, can naturally see beyond the veil, but lately, there seems to be more lost souls walking around. Then the murders start when someone new moves in next store. At least he is a police officer, but his brother is a hunter of those paranormals that get out of line. Then there are bible thumpers from a town or two away demonstrating in the main square.
The world-building by Mrs. Benner has been done very well. I could see some of the things she described and feel the chill of the wind… or is that my windows? The character interaction is very well done, and the twist, well, I did not see coming.
You may like this read if you like fantasy, witches, covens, and the paranormal. I give this small-town tale five stars out of five stars.
The world-building by Mrs. Benner has been done very well. I could see some of the things she described and feel the chill of the wind… or is that my windows? The character interaction is very well done, and the twist, well, I did not see coming.
You may like this read if you like fantasy, witches, covens, and the paranormal. I give this small-town tale five stars out of five stars.
September 3, 2025
A paranormal, urban fantasy romance or so this is how many are defining this story. But unlike the normal repetitive nature that we read in the above “genre” Aether Witch is more. Yes it is about two sister witches in a modern day Colorado town and features witch hunter there was more to this story. There is lose, found family, there is mystery and an eerie backdrop of a setting that makes it the perfect story for this time of year. I really am impressed with how deep in explanation we are taken concerning how the magic system works. Tarah Brenner has done a wonderful job writing a plot forward, character driven story that will grab the reader and take them for a supernatural ride. If you are a fan of mystery and magic with a touch of The Witcher twisted about, I recommend this book to you.
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May 25, 2023Aether Witch (Witches of Mountain Shadow Book 1), narrated by Taylor Harvey, is now available from all your favorite audiobook retailers! Listen on Spotify, Chirp, Audible, Kobo, Google Play, and Barnes & Noble!
Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks...
Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Aether-Witch-W...
Kobo/Walmart: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Nz0yiP...
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/audiobo...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aeth...
Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks...
Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Aether-Witch-W...
Kobo/Walmart: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Nz0yiP...
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/audiobo...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aeth...
November 8, 2021
A memorable jaunt through a magical murder
The main characters are likeable, funny, sarcastic, and fairly straight forward. The quaint little mountain community is stenciled out in quick brush strokes, making you want to know more about it l. You do see some character depth that develops as the book moves into the story, and it makes you invest in knowing more. What will they find/see in this mountain town that explains why evil has come here. How are Fiona and her sister involved, and what will this event reveal to them about themselves and their family? Thank you for a quick, fun, read.
The main characters are likeable, funny, sarcastic, and fairly straight forward. The quaint little mountain community is stenciled out in quick brush strokes, making you want to know more about it l. You do see some character depth that develops as the book moves into the story, and it makes you invest in knowing more. What will they find/see in this mountain town that explains why evil has come here. How are Fiona and her sister involved, and what will this event reveal to them about themselves and their family? Thank you for a quick, fun, read.
April 13, 2023
Fun supernatural thriller
Good plot, not completely predictable, and had a few nice red herrings as a special treat for the astute reader. Characters were interesting and while the main character was fairly well developed, the supporting characters needed more work to make the reader care about them.
Copyediting needs work. While not bad enough to render the text unreadable, there were several obnoxious word choice errors which marked this as as work of a novice author. Unfortunately, this author has too many books in publication to use that excuse.
PG13 for violence. No sex or language.
Good plot, not completely predictable, and had a few nice red herrings as a special treat for the astute reader. Characters were interesting and while the main character was fairly well developed, the supporting characters needed more work to make the reader care about them.
Copyediting needs work. While not bad enough to render the text unreadable, there were several obnoxious word choice errors which marked this as as work of a novice author. Unfortunately, this author has too many books in publication to use that excuse.
PG13 for violence. No sex or language.
July 6, 2023
I thought this was a fantastic audio book. It has been a while since I listened to a paranormal story. I found the main character interesting. She wasn't just a clueless person bumbling around and figuring out what was going on. Not an expert either, but smart enough to get there in the end. The supporting characters were believable and served more than just the role of a sounding board.
If you like paranormal stories that have to do with witch's and mysteries then this is the story for you.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you like paranormal stories that have to do with witch's and mysteries then this is the story for you.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 14, 2023
Didn't realize I was still into the paranormal worlds with witches and demons.
I love Tarah's apoc/ dystopian books and follow her on social media.
I took a chance on Aether Witch because I like her writing style and the detail with which she writes the characters. I have to admit that I came into the book thinking that it might be too 'infantile' just because of the genre, but it was far from that and I have enjoyed the story: a fast paced murder mystery, with a magical twist into paranormal worlds. I look forward to Book 2.
I love Tarah's apoc/ dystopian books and follow her on social media.
I took a chance on Aether Witch because I like her writing style and the detail with which she writes the characters. I have to admit that I came into the book thinking that it might be too 'infantile' just because of the genre, but it was far from that and I have enjoyed the story: a fast paced murder mystery, with a magical twist into paranormal worlds. I look forward to Book 2.
July 26, 2020
Great first book in a new series
I've read all of Tarah's dystopian and post apocalyptic books so I'm a fan and knew I wanted to read this new venture of hers. She did not disappoint. The fictional town she built and the characters drew me in. I enjoyed Fiona's character and her determination. The book doesn't end on a cliffhanger but still leaves a lot of questions unanswered and leaves me anxiously waiting for the next book to get answers and find out more about Gabriel.
I've read all of Tarah's dystopian and post apocalyptic books so I'm a fan and knew I wanted to read this new venture of hers. She did not disappoint. The fictional town she built and the characters drew me in. I enjoyed Fiona's character and her determination. The book doesn't end on a cliffhanger but still leaves a lot of questions unanswered and leaves me anxiously waiting for the next book to get answers and find out more about Gabriel.
August 6, 2020
Awesome new story form a well loved author!!
A great new supernatural story with a murder mystery included. This author delves into a new genre from her usual dystopian stories. This is a really good story with witches and hunters. There are wonderful characters, some friends some family and some that are or not. You get vested in these characters pretty much right way. I can't wait for the next book in the series!!
A great new supernatural story with a murder mystery included. This author delves into a new genre from her usual dystopian stories. This is a really good story with witches and hunters. There are wonderful characters, some friends some family and some that are or not. You get vested in these characters pretty much right way. I can't wait for the next book in the series!!
November 10, 2020
I loved this book. Geographically a little Colorado Springs (my hometown), a little Old Colorado City and a lot of Manitou Springs (called Mountain Shadow). This book has great characters and demonstrate friendship, family dynamics, entrepreneurship, and a budding romance. It was so fun to read and I was surprised to learn this is the author’s first supernatural/paranormal book. I found this in a list of books set in Colorado Springs and I’m so glad I read it!
March 1, 2021
Magical read.
The main character didn't seem to be interested in her witches magic. Rather used it as an after thought. The characters historical knowledge of her gift was sketchy. The author has a special knack drawing out the plot through the end. Well rounded story encouraging the readers immersion. The handsome heroine saves the day and is nicely written into the next book. PottsvillePA_03012021.
The main character didn't seem to be interested in her witches magic. Rather used it as an after thought. The characters historical knowledge of her gift was sketchy. The author has a special knack drawing out the plot through the end. Well rounded story encouraging the readers immersion. The handsome heroine saves the day and is nicely written into the next book. PottsvillePA_03012021.
April 21, 2022
Great start to a series
Fiona and her sister, Eleanor, are witches in Mountain Shadow, and are part if a coven. Now trouble has cone to their town and someone close to them may be involved. Add to the mix is a witch hunter, who is living next door to the sisters. Now 5 people are dead, and will more follow. Can Fiona fins the answers and can she trust Gabriel, the witch hunter
Fiona and her sister, Eleanor, are witches in Mountain Shadow, and are part if a coven. Now trouble has cone to their town and someone close to them may be involved. Add to the mix is a witch hunter, who is living next door to the sisters. Now 5 people are dead, and will more follow. Can Fiona fins the answers and can she trust Gabriel, the witch hunter
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January 13, 2023Something new!
I've read all kinds of witch stories. This is the first I've read that has to do with an aether witch. Fiona has dreams that she can't figure out so she goes into the forest to draw on the power of nature. What she discovers upends her quiet life. I like the eclectic tourist town setting of the story. It is perfect for two sister witches. Perfect for a small town murder mystery.
I've read all kinds of witch stories. This is the first I've read that has to do with an aether witch. Fiona has dreams that she can't figure out so she goes into the forest to draw on the power of nature. What she discovers upends her quiet life. I like the eclectic tourist town setting of the story. It is perfect for two sister witches. Perfect for a small town murder mystery.
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